The Chauffeur

  “No, I just went. I hear you’re stealing the family for a dinner party at your place.”

  “Yeah, sort of a combination house-warming and thank you dinner for everyone who helped me move in.”

  “Jason wasn’t invited?”

  “Of course he was, but he turned down the invitation,” I head for the door. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning. With Jason staying in town, and with Mrs. Rowe not going in this week, I lack for tasks. If you need help with anything tomorrow, I’m your girl, all right?”

  “Sure thing, April. Have a nice dinner.”

  “Thanks. See you tomorrow then.” I jog toward my apartment to change and can already feel the excitement at the chance to drive my baby for a little bit today.

  After finding a local shopping center near home, I look around a bit to see what’s close to where I live. I like that they have a separate bakery beside the one inside the market. There’re several clothing shops, shoe stores and I’ve spotted a drug store as well.

  After shopping for dinner and enough to fill my cupboards, I find myself wondering if I should make a little something for Jason as a peace offering. I hear he likes cookies. I could make my grandmother’s Haystack cookies. I think he’d like those.

  I cringe again after recalling the crushed look on his face yesterday and hate that I’ve hurt him. I hate it even more that he’s staying in town and away from his family because of me.

  Once home, I start the lasagna, stick it in the oven to slow bake. Thinking a long bath will put me in a better frame of mind, I soak in a tub of bubbles. Forty relaxing minutes later, I step out of the tub, wrap a towel around me and check on dinner. The cheese is bubbling, so I place an old cookie sheet under the casserole dish to catch the drippings.

  Heading back to my room, I slip into a pair of boy shorts and a colorful sundress. After brushing my hair, I pull it back into a high ponytail and apply a minimal amount of makeup. Once I clean up my bath mess, I set out to make the salad and garlic bread.

  I’ve set the table for six and stand back to admire my handiwork, and after adjusting the silverware one last time, I think it would have been nice to have Jason here too. As soon as the doorbell rings, I hurry to open my door to my very first dinner guest.

  “Hey, April,” Adam belts out, scooping me into a bear hug.

  “Hi, Adam. Thanks for coming,” I say, running my hand down his arm. I was worried that things might be awkward since I turned down his dinner invitation.

  “Hey, you remember Nicole, don’t you?”

  “Don’t be silly, you goof.”

  “I love what you’ve done to this apartment, April. It looks perfect,” Nicole says, looking around. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help with your move. My father gave me an important project.”

  “No worries, Nic. I’m just glad you’re here tonight.”

  “Here’s a housewarming gift for you.” She hands me an expensive looking wine and a spring bouquet.

  “Thank you, they’re lovely,” I say, smelling the flowers. I pull out my favorite vase, and as I arrange them, a card falls onto the counter. I look over at Nicole, but she’s in the living room with Adam looking through my music collection.

  April ~

  I had hoped to share this wine with you but thought it would be a nice addition to your first dinner party.

  Happy House Warming.

  Jason

  I stare at the note, the handwriting, the color of the ink, the texture of the paper, the message. He wanted to share the wine with me.

  I take the bottle and place it in the first slot of the wine holder, moving the others I bought for tonight’s dinner.

  My thoughts are interrupted when the doorbell rings, and Adam opens it to Emily, Kyle, and Sam. I hug each one. Except for Sam. He has a unique way of saying hello to me. He lifts me to his eye level and kisses my lips, which doesn’t escape Kyle’s notice. It was innocent enough, but Sam’s never done that before, and my curiosity is piqued.

  When I’m lowered back to the floor, Kyle hands me two more bottles of wine for dinner, and after I tell him where to find the corkscrew, he notices the new addition to my collection and pulls it out.

  “Where did you get this?” he asks, staring at the bottle.

  “It was a house warming gift. Why?”

  “Do you know what this is?” I shake my head. “It’s a bottle of Pandora’s Private Reserve. It’s one of the most sought after wines. After winning awards, it went underground. It’s very limited and tough to find. There’s one person I know that has three bottles of this, and now you have one of them.”

  My eyes meet Kyle’s and threaten to overflow. I was successful at holding it back until my bottom lip quivers.

  “Come here, hon, let’s talk a second.” I follow him into my bedroom, but not before he lets Emily know he and I are going to have a chat.

  “What’s going on, April?” he asks, wiping my tears away.

  “I don’t like it that I’ve upset Jason. This is his home, and now he’s staying in town to avoid me. He doesn’t want me to drive him anymore, and I’ve argued with you and disrupted your life too,” I ramble, plopping down on the bed.

  “April, you haven’t disrupted my life. You and I have a shared connection, and my guess is that she won’t be giving either one of us up.”

  “Kyle, I think it might be a good idea that I turn in my resignation. It’s just a matter of time before your mother figures all this out.” I start to cry over that thought. “Why couldn’t I have kept my mouth shut? I was doing so well. I just had to spout off with him and now look where we are. He’s mad at me, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing.”

  “Okay, enough now. No one is mad at you. I’m certainly not. I was a little pissed that I was put in a position of explaining Jason’s personal life, but that was yesterday. Now, I’m at a dinner party with a crying hostess.”

  “Fuck!” I say to myself. “Can I be more dramatic?”

  “Listen, April, first, don’t worry about your job. You aren’t going to get fired if that’s why you’re worried. You might if you don’t stop with the ‘yes ma’ams and no sirs.' We don’t like that, and it’s best you deal with that shit because it does need to stop. Other than that, you’re doing a great job, and I know my mother likes you, a lot.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder.

  “Come on, let’s go and eat.” I smile, open the door and get back to being the hostess of my dinner party.

  “There you are,” Nicole says, offering me a glass of wine. I take it from her and Kyle proposes a toast.

  “April, all of us are your friends, and we welcome you to your new home. May it be your happy place for years to come.” I look at him and silently thank him for reminding me what’s important … my friends.

  I hold up my glass, “Thank you guys for coming and for being so welcoming. Come on, let’s eat,” I say taking a sip of wine then pull the salad out of the refrigerator.

  “Emily, would you put this on the table for me?”

  “Absolutely.” She takes the tongs and mixes the salad one last time before placing it on the table.

  “What can I do, April?” Nicole asks.

  “You can put the bread baskets on each end of the table.”

  I pull the lasagna out of the warmer and slice large pieces for serving. I curse Sam for requesting extra cheese. It makes it messier.

  I set the pan on the large trivet in the center of the table and allow everyone to dish themselves.

  After what ends up being a fun and lively dinner, we have cannoli and coffee for dessert. The stories were some of the best and have us all rolling. The only issue was that Sam is especially attentive to me tonight and I think perhaps I need to have a talk with him and soon.

  As soon as everyone leaves, I open the balcony doors in both my living room and bedroom to the warm summer night. Hopefully, that will air the apartment of the powerful garlic aroma from tonight’s dinner. I take my glass of wine outside to enjoy the summer
breeze until I wind down enough to sleep.

  I lean my arms against the rail and rest my forehead on them, exhausted from the emotional day. Straightening, I take a sip of wine and see Jason over the rim of my glass. I thought he was staying in town.

  He’s standing there with his hands in his pockets, his unbuttoned dress shirt blowing open in the breeze, exposing his defined chest. It’s not long before he drops his head, seemingly in defeat. Then he’s gone.

  Drinking the last of the wine in my glass, I head back inside. After shutting the doors in the living room, I wash my face and brush my teeth before getting ready for bed. Lifting my dress over my head, I pull on a tank top, not caring that clashes with my shorts. Deciding to leave the balcony doors open, I slip into bed and enjoy the fresh air.

  Sometime between my dreams and deep sleep, a loud bang wakes me. Fear has me bolting straight up in bed and listening for unfamiliar sounds. Was it real or was it a dream? It seems like it came from the living room, but I’m not certain. Turning on my light, I tiptoe around my bed as if I am hiding from a burglar.

  After a search my apartment finds nothing out of place, I look through the peephole. Not seeing anyone, I open the door out of curiosity. What I find is petrifying. I slam it shut, lock it, and step back from the door as if it could come to life. First, comes the fear, then the tremors, and then the tears.

  What do I do? Who do I call? With shaking hands, I find my cell phone and call the first person that came to mind.

  “Hello,” he says in a raspy voice.

  “Kyle, it’s me, April,” I whisper in my phone.

  “April? What is it?”

  “Some—someone—someone …”

  “April? I’m at Emily’s. I’m going to call Jason. He’ll be right there. Stay where you are.”

  I sit on my couch hugging my knees and wait. The lights come on in Jason’s rooms, and it’s only a few minutes before I hear him running up the stairs leading to my apartment. I know he’s standing on the other side of my door, seeing what I saw. When he finally knocks, I jump up to answer it, and we both stare at it.

  “Did—did you do that?” I ask, finally finding my voice.

  “What? No! How can you think—Jesus, April, do you hate me that much?” As soon as he takes one step toward me, I throw myself at him.

  “Shh … it’s all right.” He envelops me in the safety net I need so much at the moment.

  “I just thought that after yesterday, you were angry enough—”

  “No, April. Trust me; I would never hurt you,” he says, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

  “Kyle, someone was at April’s door. They attached a note to her door—with a knife.”

  Chapter 8

  ~Jason~

  So, I guess I made a lousy first impression on April. Kathryn didn’t help. Then, of course, when I enlisted Sue to book a booty call for me with Francine didn’t either. And then there’s my assoholic move of kissing April. I guess Robin only adds fuel to the fire. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Robin wants it, but what April doesn’t know is that I’ve never had any interest in Robin and never will.

  From the moment I saw April, I’ve wanted her. I overstepped myself when I kissed her, but I couldn’t help it. The feel of her skin, the silkiness of her hair and the sweet scent of her breath—it all overpowered my senses, and like an addict, I crave more. That was until yesterday, when she told me, in so many words that I wasn’t good enough for her.

  Now, here I am, pathetically spying on her dinner party, wishing I was there, enjoying all the laughter that’s coming from her apartment. I envy every one of those people for getting the honor of sitting at her table. I regret turning down her invitation now. I told her I was staying in town this week, but I couldn’t. Not tonight. She’s sitting at the head of her table, laughing at something Sam says, watching him drink the wine I gave her. I hope she’s enjoying it. After torturing myself, and wallowing in self-pity, I turn to go inside until I get a brief glimpse of her through the curtains. She’s carrying a tray, probably full of dessert and coffee. Then, as if someone said something outrageous, a burst of laughter comes filtering through the air. I want to make her laugh. I want her to smile at me like that.

  I shut balcony the doors behind me, not looking back.

  After having dinner with Mom, I return to the solace of my room wanting to avoid further questions as to why I’m not at April’s. Rita has opened my doors, allowing the evening breeze inside. While unbuttoning my shirt, I chance a peek across the courtyard and step out onto the balcony. April has her head lying on her arms that rest folded on the railing of her balcony. A wine glass swings perilously in her hand and looks in danger of being dropped.

  I wonder what’s going through her mind? As if she hears my thoughts, she lifts her head and saves the glass by taking a drink from it. That’s when she sees me. Time seems to stop as we look across the courtyard at each other. And then I remember—she doesn’t want me to bother her. I retreat into my room, shutting the doors behind me.

  ~.~

  “Hello,” I groggily answer my annoying phone at three-thirty in the morning.

  “Jason, it's Kyle. I just got a call from April, and I think she’s trying to tell me someone’s in her apartment.” I’m in my jeans and running toward the balcony before I speak.

  “On my way.”

  “Call me right back.”

  I drop my phone in my pants pocket and slip down my childhood escape route by climbing down the lattice, wishing I had remembered a shirt and shoes. Sprinting over to the April’s, I run up the stairs, and when I reach the top, I see it. A knife is holding a handwritten note to the door with big letters … WHORE.

  I quietly knock on the door, not wanting to scare her more than she already is. When she opens it, her face is ashen, and I can see her body shake. We both turn our attention to the message.

  The first thing she says is “Did you do it?” I can’t believe she asks me that!

  “Do you hate me that much?”

  As soon as I take one step inside, she rushes into my arms.

  “No. I just thought that, after yesterday, you might be angry enough…”

  Feeling her body rocking with fear, I try to soothe her and call my brother and tell him what I found when I got here.

  “Are you fucking shitting me?” he shouts into the phone.

  “No, I’m not joking. I think April’s in shock, though. I want to review the tapes before calling the police. I’m not doing anything tonight but try to calm her down. She’s past shaking; she is severely trembling.”

  “Do you need to take her to the hospital?” That’s when I hear Emily scream in the background for her friend. “No. You calm Emily, and I’ll take care of April. Come home first thing in the morning though so that we can go over this. I’m glad Dad is coming home tonight.”

  “See you in a few hours.”

  April’s still plastered against me with her arms tucked between us, so I hold on to her a bit tighter. She’s cold and shaking, so I pick her up and carry her to bed. Feeling her warm body against my bare chest is comforting and feels nice. As soon as I cover her, she folds into herself. I don’t like seeing her like this. I run the back of my finger across her soft cheek, then pull my hand away. Seeing her shiver, I shut the balcony doors and do the only thing I can think of, and that’s to crawl in behind her and hold her. It’s a complete surprise when she turns over and snuggles the entire length of her body against mine. I reciprocate and wrap my arms around her and pull her close.

  Even though I know it’s Kyle, I still jump at the light knocking at the door. I unwind myself from April’s grasp and wake her in the process.

  “Hey, Kyle’s here. I need to go let him in. Are you all right here alone?” She nods and buries herself deeper under her blankets while I answer the door. As soon as I open it, Emily speeds past me to April’s room.

  “Wow, this is fucking freaky. Who in the world would do this?” Kyle asks as
soon as he walks through the door.

  “I think it's Kate’s doing,” I whisper, while we stare at the knife and message. “She called me the other day and said that she was going to steal April away from me. I just assumed she meant she’d offer her a job as her driver, not scare the shit out of her to make her leave.”

  “We need to tell Mom and call the police,” he says, staring at the message and comments on how deep the knife is embedded in the door. “Let me tell April I’ll be back.”

  “Okay, I’ll meet you at home. Let Emily know, would you?” I nod and turn toward April’s room to find her standing in the doorway in her underwear, and her hair all mussed and sexy-like. I try very hard not to look at anything but her eyes, but damn she looks beautiful right now.

  “Um … are you all right?” I ask as she stares at the open door.

  “Who did that?” she asks.

  “I’m not sure yet. We’re calling the police, so they’ll be here shortly to get fingerprints. Are you okay with that?”

  “Yes,” she says with a nod. “Jason?”

  I take a step toward her.

  “I’m sorry about accusing you last night. I was just scared. I was trying to make sense of it, and I’m sorry. Thank you for staying with me.”

  “You’re most welcome. I’d do it again if you needed it. I’m going to the house to talk to my mother and Kyle before the police get here.” I pull her into my arms and hold her, resting my chin against her hair.

  “Are you going to be all right?”

  “Yes. I just need a cup of coffee and a shower, and I’ll be as good as new. Will you be back, too?” she asks, her arms wrapped around her waist.

  “Do you want me to be?” She nods, and my arms go around her. “Then I’ll be back.”

  “All right. I’ll make some coffee for us.”

  “Lock the door when I leave,” I instruct, running my finger along her jaw. I glance at Emily. “Kyle’s at the house, Emily.” She nods, and I steal one more glance at April in her sleepwear. “Go get dressed. I don’t want anyone else to see you like this.” As soon as I hear the lock, I rush home.

  When I enter the back door, Kyle and Mom are talking about what happened.